Feed-water heater.



L. D. LOVEKIN.

FEED WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. 1916.

Patented Deu. 1T, N16.

LUTHER D. LOVEKIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application filed September 25, 1916. Serial No. 122,015. i

To all whom 'it may concern.

Be it known that I, LUTHER D. LOVEKIN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feed-Water Heaters, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My present invention relates to heat interchanging apparatus of the surface-condenser type in which heat is'transferred to a colder Huid flowing through a group of spaced apart tubes from a cond nsable vapor, as steam, in contact with t e outer walls of the tubes, and the general object of the invention is to provide simple and effective apparatus of the ty e characterized by its eiliciency and relative y high capacity per unit of bulk. More specifically t e object of my invention is to provide improved means for preventing liquid of condensation forming on and drip ing off upper tubes from running over tlie lower tubes and thereby through the heat insulating effect of the liquid reducing the coeicient of heat transmission through the tube walls.

The various features ofnovelty which characterize lmy invention are pointed out with articularity in the claims annexed Yto and o ing a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference should be had to the vaccompanying drawings and-descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevationof a pref erred embodiment of my' invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 1s a section takenV similarly to Fig. 1 but on a larger scale and showing a portion only of the apparatus.

In the drawings, A represents the easing body of apparatus of the V,surface condenser type especially devised for use on and as a part of a locomotive for heating the feed water for the locomotive with the exhaust steam from the locomotive. To the ends of the casing body A are secured chambered end members B and C. As shown, the end member C is directly secured by bolts K to the adjacent end of the casing lbody A,

casing body A by the iexible casing portion A' F which forms an expansible joint to take care of the relative expansion of the casing body A and the tubes E which are rigidly connected at their ends in the tube sheets D. The tubes E are approximately horizontally disposed. As shown, the steam space within the casing body A traversed by the tubes E is provided with two steam inlets A at its upper edge Vand a bottom outlet A2 for water of condensation. The end member B isformecl with an inlet chamber B and an outlet chamber B2 for the feed water passing through the apparatus. rKhe feed water to be heated entering the chamber B passes through the tubes E opening to that chamber to the chamber in the end member C and returns from that chamber to the chamber B2 through the tubes E opening to both of said chambers. It will be understood, however, that it is immaterial to the present invention whether the chambered end members be provided with external connections to insure one or any desirable plurality of passages of the water being heated from one end of the apparatus to the other.

Surrounding each tube E and anchored at its ends to the corresponding tube' sheets is a casing tube or jacket G substantially larger in internal diameter than the external diameter of the tube E which it surrounds,

and which will ordinarily be concentrically,

disposed therein. Each tubular jacket G is formed with one or more steam inlets in its upper edge and one or more outlets for water o condensation in its lower "edge, and these inlets and outlets are so relatively arranged that the water of condensation escapmg from a water of condensation outlet of any upper jacket G will not enter the steam inlet o any lower jacket. In the preferred construction illustrated each tube G is formed with a steam inlet G in its upper edge in the shape of an elongated slot terminating at each end at a short distance from the correspondi tube sheet, and is formed adjacent each en with a bottom discharge opening G2. The outlets Gr2 adjacent each tube sheet lie between the latter and the adjacent ends of the slots G. Of course, if the tubes and jackets,- are inclined to the horizontal, there is no necessity for the outlets G2 at the upper ends of the jackets G. Advantageously the tubular jackets G are held in place b counterboring the tube sheets to forni soc ets D in which the ends of the 'ackets are inserted.

In the operation of t e apparatus illustrated, the steam enters the interiors of the various jackets G through the slots G', and thus contacts with the active tubes E. The water of condensation forming on the outer walls of the tubes E and in the annular spaces between the tubes E and their surrounding easing jackets G, is collected in the tubes G and flows out of the latter through the discharge openings G2. The water escaping from any outlet G2 of an upper jacket. falls onto and runs over the ends of the jackets G beneath, but the staggered arrangement of the inlets and outlets prevents any appreciable portion of this water from entering the inlets G of any of the lower jackets G. The jackets G thus form very simple and eii'ective means for preventing the water of condensation formed on the outer wall or in immediate proximity toV any one tube E, from running over the wall of an other tube E and thereby reducing the edectiveness of the apparatus.

1While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes I have illustrated and described the best form of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes can be made in the form of my inventlon without departing from its spirit, and that some features of my invention can be used without a correspondin use of other features.

Having now escribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Heat exchange apparatus comprising a group of horizonta ly disposed tubes traversing a vapor space, and a separate tubular jacket iohrvandV embracing each of jackets being formed with vapor inlets at their upper edges and liquid of condensa@ tion outlets at their lower edges, the inlets to and outlets from the various jackets bein relatively disposed longitudinally of the tu es to prevent liquid of condensation escaping from the outlet of an upper jacket lfrom entering the inlet of a lower jacket.

2. Heat exchange apparatus comprising in combination a casing inclosing a vapor space, a group of horizontally disposed tubes traversing said vapor space, tube sheets to which the ends of the tubes are connected, and tubular jackets, one for and embracing but not filled by each of said tubes and each connected at its opposite ends to the tube sheets and formed with a vapor inlet at its upper edge and a liquid of condensation outlet at its lower edge, the inlets to and outlets from the various jackets being relatively disposed longitudinally of the tubes to prevent lionid of condensation escaping from the outlet of an upper jacket from entering the vapor inlet of a lower jacket.

3. Heat exchange apparatus comprising in combination a casing inclosing a vapor space, a group of horizontally disposed tubes traversing sald vapor space, tube sheets to which the ends of the tubes are connected, and tubular jackets, one for and embracing but not filled by each of said tubes, said tube sheets being formed with sockets receiving the ends of said jackets, and each of said jackets bein formed with a vapor inlet at its upper e -ge and a liquid of condensation outlet at its lower edge, the inlets to and outlets from the various jackets being relatively disposed longitudinally of the tubes to prevent liquid of condensation escaping from the outlet of an upper jacket from entering the vapor inlet ot a lower jacket. v

LUTHER D. LovEKIN.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,287,713, granted December 17, 1918, upon the application of Luther. D. Lovekin, -o Philadelphia, Pennsylvania., for an improvement. in Feed- Water Heaters," an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: In the heading, line 4, for Serial No. 122,015 read Serial No. 122,045; and that the said Lettere Patent should be read with this correction therein that the seme may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oice. p

signed and sealed this mh day of March, A. D., 1919.

[SEAL] R. F. WHITEHEAD,

Acting Commissioner oj Patents. 

